Revival of Igbo language: Taking a cue from Imo House of Assembly and some Lagos-based private schools

Written by Henry Umahi, Daily Sun, Nigeria.

Revival of Igbo language:
Taking a cue from Imo House of Assembly and
some Lagos-based private schools

In the battle for the revival of the dying Igbo language, there had been nothing as refreshing to the spirit as the plan by members of the Imo State House of Assembly to set aside special days within the week in which discussions and debates in the hallowed chamber of the House will be carried out strictly in Igbo.

On such days too, members are to attend sittings dressed in Igbo traditional attire only. Revealing why the resort to such drastic measures are necessary, the Speaker of the state's 8^th House of Assembly, Dr. Acho Ihim, noted that they were aimed at not only reviving but also transmitting the Igbo language from one Igbo generation to another. "The members of the House are determined to revive the Igbo language and culture because they are aware of the fact that if you lose your language and culture, you have lost your identity," he said. 

I can only say kudos to Dr. Ihim and the honourable members of the Imo State House of Assembly for coming up with such noble idea while earnestly urging them to practise what they are preaching. But they should not stop at just conducting their lawmaking affairs in Igbo language. They should go beyond that to enact a law that will make it mandatory for schools in Imo State, both public and private, to teach Igbo language to their students. In fact, as far as I am concerned nothing stops the House from compelling the management and staff of schools to make their students, both boys and girls, to attend classes on certain days of the week dressed in complete Igbo traditional wear, something that has hitherto been limited to only the 'cultural day' of schools.

I will urge other honourable members of the House of Assemblies in Anambra, Ebonyi, Abia and Enugu, to take a cue from the Imo House. There was a time Anambra State House of Assembly, during the administration of Governor Peter Obi also came up with similar decision and resolution. I wouldn't know what later became of the idea.

The Imo House of Assembly may, at the end of the day, end up setting up precedence that other Igbo sons and daughters should do well to emulate. Here in Lagos, private schools like CEDEC International Schools, Olodi-Apapa, Ejiflox Secondary Schools, and Blue-gate Private School, have been setting a good example to others by actively encouraging the teaching and learning of Igbo language in their schools. Igbo parents in the Diaspora who desire to see their wards speak and write Igbo should seek out such private schools wherever they live and send their wards to study there.

Although the teaching and learning of indigenous languages in schools is strongly recommended by the Nigerian National Policy on Education, it is disheartening, however, to see too much lip service being paid to it. Section 5, No. 22b of the Policy notes that secondary education shall "develop and promote Nigerian languages, art and culture in the context of world's cultural heritage." It adds that a student in the Junior Secondary School arm "should compulsorily take the language of his/her environment, which is to be taught as his/her first language (L1)." That is to say, the policy makes it mandatory for the JSS students to learn one other major Nigerian language other than their own mother tongue, in addition to English and French. This is to help ensure the unity of the country.

But a research conducted by Drs. Harrison Adeniyi and Rachael Bello, Senior Lecturers, in the Department of African Languages, Literature and Communication Arts and of English, respectively, of the Lagos State University, discovered that both teachers and student-learners of indigenous languages merely see the subjects as a course of study to be passed and not one to be imbibed for everyday use outside the school environment. This is sad, very sad. Whatever the Federal and state governments can do, whatever law the National and State Assemblies can come up with to reverse these tendencies will be highly appreciated.